Modern Interior Doors

The usefulness of a door to a building in terms of security and decoration cannot be overemphasized. Right from time immemorial, we have witnessed the creation of different types of doors ranging from the very simple wooden doors created directly from tree trunks to the most complicated modern interiors doors which serves a dual purpose of beautification and security. These contemporary doors have been designed with the incorporation of cutting-edge technology which presents them as the best fit for a home in the 21st century.

Recently, the need to have beautifully designed houses with a wonderful interior design has raised the demand for modern interior doors which can perfectly blend into the designs and also give the house a touch of class and finishing.

What is a door?

As a simple definition, a door is a piece of material which is created from a hard to break material usually in the form of wood, or metal. As a requirement, all door materials ought to be impermeable. These doors are created with or without a window which may have a hard frame where the glass panels or screens are attached or fitted to the hinges. Doors are usually attached to a frame which creates a space for egress or ingress from a building, room or vehicle. This allows the door to slide or move in various ways (mostly at angles of either 90 or 180 degrees).

The Evolution of doors

Doors, as we come to know them in contemporary times, have passed through a series of modifications from when they first appeared to when they were modernized. The creation and design of doors are as old as man.

The very first records of a door were represented in some Egyptian tombs where they were displayed as either single or double doors, each made in a single piece of wood. These doors were believed to be the literal doorway to the afterlife and some doors leading to important places featured designs of the afterlife. The earliest types of doors contrary to what is observed in the contemporary doors were made without frames and predominantly from grasses or wood which were created predominantly for security purposes.

The introduction and use of lintel in buildings brought about an upgrade to the doors which were predominant at that time. During this time, it was observed that ancient doors were hung by pivots at the top of the hanging style which worked just like sockets in the lintel and sill. The lintel was made of granite and basalt and was made primarily to hold the doors in place.

The ancient Roman and Greek introduced the single doors, double doors, triple doors, sliding doors or folding doors. These doors were used in homes, tombs and important places like temples and palaces. This was evident in the tomb of Theron at Agrigentum where there is a single four-panel door, each of which comes with five panes. The other examples of these earliest forms of doors were seen in the Church of SS. Cosmas and Damiano, in Rome, are very important examples of Roman metal work.

The inclusion of Copper and its alloys were integrated into the medieval architecture. This was seen in the Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem (6th century) were covered with plates of bronze, cut out in patterns. This was continued until the 8th and 9th century where the doors were wrought in bronze cut out in patterns.

Importance of Doors

The importance of doors right from their very first appearance offered two basic functions wherever they are used.

Primary Function

Security is the primary reason why doors are installed in homes, tombs and important places of gathering and worship. Doors come with a locking mechanism which ensures that only authorized individuals (usually the custodians of the key) have the right access to space and can open them. They are sometimes equipped with knockers or doorbells by which all outsiders can announce their presence or summon someone either to open the door for them or give them permission to open them. Modern interior doors can come equipped with other technological appliances such as alarm systems and Cameras which increases the level of security in the house.

Secondary function

Decorative purposes are secondary reasons why doors were installed in a house. The other secondary functions of doors include; preventing unwanted attention from outsiders, separating areas with which the different functions of allowing light to pass into and out of a space, of controlling ventilation or air drafts so that interiors may be more effectively cooled or heated, prevention from dampening noise, and of blocking the spread of fire

The earliest reference to the appearance of the first modern interior doors is quite unknown. From their first appearance which most people associate with the Roman empire to date, there has been quite a tremendous modification to the structure, and other door accessories. Not only do these contemporary doors serve to protect a building from intruders with better-equipped accessories but also in their inclusion in the residential construction where they serve as a way of decoration. The modern interior doors are used to cover a fair percentage of the wall surface area which is one very serious reason why adequate attention should be paid to the installation of these modern interior doors.

Characteristics of modern interior doors

All contemporary doors have the following characteristics which differentiate them from others and make them fit to be used in a modern home. These characters are listed below

• Ability to open in either 1-way (900) or 2-way (1800) directions
• Come anodized with aluminum or silver door frames
• An in-built ventilation system
• Availability of maintenance materials
• They are custom-made to fit a particular home.
• The hinges are completely invisible.
• In-built handles for a handle free design.
• Replaceable door leaf
• Installation of security systems in the form of knockers, surveillance cameras and alarm systems.

Categories

Modern interior doors come in different categories, style, and functions. The primary design of the contemporary doors is determined by the location of the house where they will be installed and the type of material used in the creation. The common categories of modern interior doors are discussed below;

Internal doors with concealed hinges and adjustable swing direction

This types of contemporary doors features concealed hinges which are usually fitted on the left and right side of the door framework. The hinges are placed behind a special profile which makes them completely invincible even when the doors are opened. These modern interior doors allows you to have a door which can easily close without making a noise. This is achievable through the patterned locing technology which is integrated into the door as well as the minimalist frame.

Interior doors with hinges are designed with two major parts; Convex (male) and concave (female). While the latter is a synthetic fitting in the door frame, the former consists of the synthetic profile on the door leaf. This makes the door to perfectly swing direction as desired of 90°, or 180°, this guarantees perfect closure and positioning. The system is fully modular, which means it remains adaptable in the future.

Pros and cons

The ability to close without making a noise makes them perfect for interior use.

They come with a high level of flexibility which qualifies them as the perfect interior doors for the contemporary home.

The installation may be a serious challenge.

Interior doors with an invisible door frame

In existence since 1995, these doors features a contemporary door design whose doorframes are invincible. Most contemporary door experts believe interior doors with an invincible door frame are the earliest forms of modern doors.

They come installed with a recessed frame which requires a lot of necessary preparations which allows the system to be installed correctly and in the right way. By installing this door, you are guaranteed of a beautiful finish without any cracks in the future. It is one of the best contemporary doors in the market.

Pros and Cons

They are the earliest forms of modern doors which promises a beautiful interior finish

These doors are very durable and have a less likelihood to develop faults in the future.

The invincible door frames may pose a challenge to installation.

Block doors with a minimalist aluminum frame

This type of doors come installed with anodized aluminum profiles which are centrally placed in the doorways. Although they are a perfect addition to the home, they are required to be finished off by your tiller or plasterer as if nothing is to be placed in it. They are mostly finished off beautifully with edge protectors or Gyproc. The frame of these doors provides a visually frameless effect and is the cheapest solution as far as modern interior doors are concerned.

Pros and cons

The incorporation of an anodized profile makes them classy and easy to style.

They are a perfect fit to any form of contemporary home design.

The installation requires special attention

Contemporary doors such as the modern interiors doors have come to stay, there is still an intensive research going on in order to make the doors more secure, easy to handle and fit perfectly into the home decorations.